Solid Bethell leads Pacifica past Servite

ANAHEIM - Pacifica senior pitcher Max Bethell likes the way his team has consistently been able to overcome early deficits this season.

The Mariners did not need a comeback Wednesday. They took a two-run lead in the third inning and kept it in a 3-1 victory over Servite in the Anaheim Lions Baseball Tournament championship game at Glover Stadium.

Pacifica went 5-0 in the tournament. The Mariners, 13-3 and ranked No. 10 in Orange County, next plays in the Hard9 National Classic that begins Monday. Pacifica plays Bishop Amat of La Puente, the No. 1-ranked team in CIF-Southern Section, in a first-round game Monday at Esperanza.

Bethell pitched a complete game to improve to 6-1 and was named tournament most valuable player. The left-hander, who signed with Cal Poly Pomona, struck out nine, including two in the seventh inning and the side in the fifth.

Servite (11-5) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Joe Prior. Pacifica tied it in its half of the inning on an RBI single by UCLA signee Trent Chatterton.

The Mariners scored twice to in the third to take the two-run lead. Marcus Rodriguez led off the inning with a double, advanced to third base on a bunt single by Jono Herkins and scored on a single by Kyle Davis. Herkins scored on a single by Matt Gilbody.

In its first Lions tournament game, Pacifica scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Great Oak of Temecula, 10-0. Kyle Davis hit a three-run home run to tie the game, and Bethell hit a two-run walkoff homer to win it. The Mariners gave up only two runs over the next four tournament games.

“We’ve come back from a lot of deficits and setbacks,” Bethell said. “We feel like we can jump back against anybody.”

Pacifica got an early jump Wednesday, and used good pitching and solid defense to win the game and the tournament championship.

Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com